My expectations of kite riding in virtual reality in the new Pop-up store of Samsung and UPC in Europa Allee were relatively small. When I saw the chair from the outside, I hesitated for a moment and wasn't quite sure I wanted to go in. A young lady then came out immediately and asked me if I wanted to try it out. Then; there was no turning back.
From the form to the chair
First I had to fill out a short form to confirm that I am over 13 years old and under 95kg.... No problem, I managed both factors. Then I was immediately strapped into the chair with several belts by two attendants. Even my feet were tied together. "That should hold - but what for?", I asked myself. I was allowed to choose between a journey through the galaxy or a dragon ride. I opted for the second theme. The one lady handed me the glasses and the headphones. Zack; put them on and everything was mounted. Even the glasses had to be fastened again with an extra strap. They asked me if I was ready. Of course - we're ready to go!
The wild roller coaster with looping
Schon nach den ersten Sekunden merkte ich, dass ich nicht so locker-flockig im Stuhl sitzen konnte. Mir wurde noch zugerufen: „Du kannst dich vorne auch festhalten.“ Von Können war nicht die Rede – man muss unbedingt. Man sollte auch den Kopf satt hinten an den Stuhl andrücken, sonst schlägt man schon nach der ersten krassen Kurve mit seinem Schädel dagegen. Mein Körper reagierte sofort und so sass ich mit voller Körperspannung im Stuhl, welcher sich in alle Richtungen zu drehen schien. So raste mein Drache mit mir durch zahlreiche Schluchten und wir begegneten anderen fliegenden Ungeheuern.
I could hardly believe it when I then even perceived my body upside down because my very lively dragon did a loop. When I asked my companion after the ride, he confirmed that I really was turned upside down. Well, thanks for the info about this wild roller coaster. The demo video shows the possibilities of the chair.
The 360° experience
I didn't quite get all of the VR environment. Firstly, I was a bit surprised by the violent movements and secondly, of course, I couldn't comfortably look around me 360° like I'm used to. The chair really restricts the view of what is in front of you. The graphics were sufficient in this context, as I didn't have time to look at details anyway.
The conclusion
For those in the mood for a really wild VR experience, the ride on the dragon offers a very exhilarating roller coaster ride. However, if you have a rather sensitive stomach, it's better not to go. In this context, I found it rather negligent that the support team did not give any warning or ask whether loops were ok.
Unfortunately, according to the two attendants, almost no people came to visit; the walk-in customers were missing. I already mentioned in the last newsletter that the poster probably contains too little information. Report mentioned. It was interesting in this context that neither she nor the third sales person present said anything about the new devices on sale. There must be a serious lack of sales training here as well.
Source images: UPC, Youtube
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